18. Alphabet Ankles, Toe Taps, and ankle rolls
The stronger and more flexible your ankles, the higher your chances of avoiding injury whether it’s while exercising or doing daily activities such as running for a bus. Exercising your ankles for just a few minutes on a regular basis will keep strains and other ankle problems at bay. Stretching and rolling the ankles can significantly improve their strength and you can do these exercises easily at any time without any specialized equipment. You don’t realize how much you use your ankles until one of them is out of action.
Alphabet ankles: Use your ankle to ‘write’ the letters of the alphabet. Sit down and cross your right leg over your left leg with resting the middle of your right calf on your left thigh. Now use your big toe as a writing implement. Move your foot from the ankle to trace out the letters of the alphabet, starting with A and ending with Z. Cross your legs over the other way and repeat.
Toe taps: Sit in a chair with a straight back. Keep your heels flat on the floor and tap your toes up and down. Tap the toes of the one foot up and down for about a minute and then move on to the other foot. Work at increasing the time and speed of the taps. The benefit of this simple exercise is that you can do it while you’re sitting at your computer.
Ankle rolls: This is another exercise you can quickly perform while sitting anywhere. You can also do it from a standing position. While sitting in a chair or standing, slowly roll your one ankle in big circles, rotating it clockwise. Switch to the other ankle and perform the same movement in a counterclockwise direction.
